The Dance
by Eve-the-Charlotte
Summary: "You mean you've never, ever danced before?"  "Tried it once.  Didn't like it."  Red X/Robin.  Spoilers for "Date with Destiny" episode.


_The Dance _by _Eve-the-Charlotte_

Pairings: past Dick/Barbara and Bruce/Dick, one-sided Robin/Kitten and Robin/Starfire, and current Red X/Dick.

Inspiration: "I don't dance. . . Tried it once. Didn't like it."

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.

&EvacuateTheDanceFloor&

_I don't dance._

_**You mean you've never, ever danced before?**_

_Tried it once._

_Didn't like it._

That short conversation, those abrupt words, danced in Dick Grayson's head, even as Robin checked in on the now unfrozen couple that Fang had paralyzed. The guy and his girlfriend were well and okay, just happy to be unfrozen and have the leader of the Teen Titans talking to them. _Why do they think you so special; after all, __**he **__never did. Neither did she, not after _that _happened._

Robin and Dick Grayson both yelled at that dark corner of the mind to shut up as Dick continued to over-analyze the brief exchange of words Robin and Kitten had shared and Robin approached Starfire to assure her health. Starfire embraced Robin, and Robin loved it, even though Dick did not. Dick's heart was stuttering, stopping, as his mind was filled with the memories of a similar body, shorter, though, and cooler, heat human, not alien. Eyes lighter and flecked with blue, only the iris green, and hair more orange than ruby red filled Dick Grayson's mind, even though Robin did not show those thoughts, as he dismissed them unimportant.

Finally, eternities of both joy and heart-wrenching pain later, Starfire relinquished her darling Robin after having her love fill. Robin smiled warmly at her. Inside, Dick Grayson cringed and rubbed his hands over his arms, feeling cold and guilty, though he knew that, deep down, he need not feel that way. He had felt this way too long, and he had always been the only one to feel those emotions over those phantoms that haunted his memories and dreams, twisting them down a dark path of almost no return.

Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven interrupted the small reverie, as they came together as a team again. Robin let out another smile at his team, and even Dick couldn't help but feel warm because their team, both his and Robin's, was here, with him. Beast Boy was carrying around a mutated silkworm, which Robin, for once, overlooked, but Dick locked onto, but then let slide. What the hell, Beast Boy would be happy with the thing, and it wasn't as though the little thing would be too much trouble, right? Well, at least, he hoped he was right. _Right, right, just like you were so sure that __**he **__loved you, and that __**she**__ would never find out about your little obsession, right?_

Again, the shouts of shut up in the mind were resounding as the team headed back to the Tower after the baddies were locked up tight in the armored truck destined for Jump City's high-tech prison. Robin was too busy listening happily to Cyborg and Beast Boy's traditional meat versus tofu argument to notice the shadowy figure in the background, following the super heroes intently. Dick Grayson, again, noticed what Robin did not, and felt his heart pound in anticipation, hairs on the back of his neck rising, lips twisting into an expression of something feral. Robin and his merry band had a lovely time at the pizza place, with many laughs and smiles abound, which did not leave even as they journeyed to their T-shaped home.

Starfire recommended the entire group watch a Bollywood movie with her, an old one, which the majority agreed would be acceptable. The entire group, even Raven, enjoyed the fun costumes and frequent, sporadic dance numbers in their ridiculousness. Robin was happy his team was having an excellent time. Dick was happy Raven was smiling, even though his heart and soul was tugging him toward his room. Dick smirked inwardly, since the tables were turned for once. The masked man could wait for once. After the Bollywood movie was concluded with the most fantastically fun dance number yet, Robin's teammates went off to bed, leaving Robin alone in the commons room. He waited a minute, before finally let Dick take over.

Dick Grayson stood and removed the mask from his face. Glacier blue eyes sought out an old inconspicuous gym bag left near the refrigerator. Once located, Dick stripped out of Robin's costume and put on regular clothes. A black long-sleeved shirt adorned with a shiny silver logo for a store in Gotham hugged his chest and torso, and dark blue skinny jeans hugged his waist, ass, thighs, and calves, leaving very little to the imagination. Shoes were forgone for this venture, as he need not travel far. Not this time.

Dick traveled in a way reminiscent of the ninja Robin so often imitated to his bedroom. Dick had scarcely punched in the ten-digit code that allowed the steel doors to open before being pulled inside and slammed against the wall next to his bed. Hot lips pressed against his one cool ones and a tongue poked out in hopes of meeting his one. Things continued in this manner for quite a while, until the need to breathe became more imperative than even the strongest throes of passion. As their lungs took in sweet oxygen, Dick tipped his head against the piece of wall directly behind him. Flashes of memories passed through his mind.

_A tall, broad-shouldered man in a spandex-Kevlar suit sat in front of a large computer screen, scanning for crimes committed throughout Gotham City. With the cowl removed, one could see the man's face, unusually handsome even for a man in his twenties. Icy blue eyes, very similar to Dick's own, did not even leave the screen as he inquired what Dick wanted._

_Eyes so green sparkled as Dick held Barbara close, slow dancing to a slow song. Barbara's smile was so bright that Dick could feel Bruce's hold slipping away. It left only Dick and Barbara, rather than Dick and Robin and Barbara and Batgirl. Then Dick felt icy eyes on him, and Dick felt some sick part of him grin manically. Bruce was noticing him. __**Bruce**__ was noticing him. Barbara mattered no longer, because Bruce was noticing __**him**__._

_Dick made his move. As Bruce lay sleeping, Dick leaned over him, not letting his weight shift onto the man below him, and kissed the man, cool lips on top of even colder lips. Bruce's eyes snapped open, and the man pushed Dick away immediately. Bruce grabbed Dick's arm, as the boy was already giving up and retreating, and thereby forced Dick to give up retreat and just surrender. The man shook his head, with bewilderment and just the slightest hint of disgust, and Dick's body shook with tears and sorrow and pain. _

_The door opened, followed by a resounding crash of broken glass. Barbara Gordon's frame shook as she took in the sight of Bruce Wayne and her supposedly faithful boyfriend, Richard "Dick" Grayson, locked into such a compromising position. One look at the scene, and Barbara's heart broke. "You said you'd gotten over him," she whispered, obviously in pain, "you lied. You lied!" As she ran, Dick ran, too, through the broken glass, crunching loudly as his bare feet went through it. Babs attempted to throw Dick off her tail, but the both of them went through the same training, so Dick was not deterred, not even by the glass that pierced his feet deeper and deeper as he practically flew after his girlfriend, if he could still call her that. _

_Dick finally caught Barbara at a dead end on the fourth floor of the Manor. When she noticed she was trapped, she valiantly fought Dick, managing to land a few hits on him, causing a few bruises to bloom prettily on his milky white skin. Dick managed to get a solid grip on the girl he had cornered. She struggled for quite a bit, before just going wimp with sobs. Her broken voice pierced the air with a question of "Why, Dick, why?"_

_"I'm sorry," he whispered. Sorry she found out, sorry that he did it, sorry for those unnatural feelings in the first place, sorry for everything? Again, he whispered, "I'm sorry." After that, nothing was said, for, truly, what could be said?_

_Afterwards, Dick Grayson packed his bags and left. He knew that with his disappearance came relief. No more awkward glances, no more bitter rages, no more heart-wrenching sobs to keep quiet, no more. Batman could find a less twisted partner, and Barbara could find a normal boyfriend. Dick would find a new place, and they would all live happily ever after, right? He forced himself to believe the lie as he turned away from the Manor he had once called home, as the rain poured around him. In fact, it was only raindrops that fell down his cheeks, not tears, right?_

Hot, almost scalding lips sucking at his neck snapped Dick Grayson out of his thoughts, and he turned his attention to the elder boy in front of him. The elder bore dark hazel eyes into Dick's icy blue ones. The elder then spoke, which had never been done before in their meetings, and by doing so brought a whole new level to their relationship.

"I'm not the ghosts. I'm not some suave man to sweep you off your feet and into some secret, clandestine affair. I'm not some pretty girl you can bring to formal parties and fancy dinners and not worry about getting even a second glance. I'm not some innocent little thing that you have to teach everything to. I'm a guy who knows more than you do sometimes and vice versa and wants to show you off to the world 'cause I love you, even when you're kind of fucked up like right now."

The elder finished his speech and the room lapsed into a quiet sort of tension. Dick stared at the ground as he felt tears well up in his glacier eyes. He blinked rapidly as he then looked up at the man called Red X and whispered, "Thank you for loving me."

A passionate kiss sealed away the promises of the night, a promise they would always keep, forever and for always, until the end of their days.

&EvacuateTheDanceFloor&

My longest one-shot story yet! Yay! Read and review, everybody!


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